Sing Ye Praises

“For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.” (Psalm 47:7)

What are we to sing? Praises. How are we to sing these praises? With understanding.

Singing to God has purpose, meaning, and intent. We must understand and commune with God, His will and His word.

All too often our flesh gets excited by the music to the point that it overtakes the person. This gets interpreted as being spirit filled. Well, you’re right. But it isn’t Holy Ghost Spirit filled. It’s a carnal spirit of the flesh.

Reread the verse. When we sing, the song is to be praising God. The music and singing are secondary to the actual praise. Sometimes folks will cut loose with the music and let it all hang out because they believe that the singing is the praise. It isn’t. Don’t think in terms of the act of singing. Think content of the song! Think intent. What are you singing? The point is to sing the praise. Singing in of itself isn’t the praise.

Our religion is word based. The Bible is called the word. Our Lord and Savior is called the Word! God created heaven and earth with the word. Jesus Christ defeated the devil during the great temptation by doing one thing, reciting the word. What we say, what we sing, the content of the song is what is important. The praise is in the word!

Content is the king of the message. That’s why the Psalmist goes on to say to sing praises with, “understanding”. Sing with knowledge and discernment. Sing prudently and with circumspection, after all, this is God we are singing to. All due respect and admiration must be paid and maintained.

Losing control of oneself under the influence of music exciting a carnal spirit is not how we want to present our self to God. I ask all to check the spirit that causes such outbursts. Check to see what spirit it is. Check to see who has dominion. Remember, the singing is for God, not for our self.

“And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” (1 Corinthians 14:32-33).

Charles Spurgeon was a 19^th century minister and one of the most renown theologians of all times. He was known as the “Prince of Preachers” due to his Godly sermons and messages and the large crowds that he would attract. Think of Spurgeon as the Billy Graham of his time. Below are his comments on Psalm 47:7.

“Sing a didactic Psalm. Sound doctrine praises God. Even under the economy of types and ceremonies, it is clear that the Lord had regard to the spirituality of worship, and would be praised thoughtfully, intelligently, and with deep appreciation of the reason for song. It is to be feared from the slovenly way in which some make a noise in singing, that they fancy any sound will do. On the other hand, from the great attention paid by some to the mere music, we feel sadly sure that the sense has no effect upon them. Is it not a sin to be tickling men's ears with sounds when we profess to be adoring the Lord? What has a sensuous delight in organs, anthems, etc., to do with devotion? Do not men mistake physical effects for spiritual impulses? Do they not often offer to God strains far more calculated for human amusement than for divine acceptance? An understanding enlightened of the Holy Spirit is then and then only fully capable of offering worthy praise.” (Charles Spurgeon)

The Psalmist is quite clear. It isn’t just singing. It is song of praises with comprehension of what those praises are and what they mean.

It is just like if we, “speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity” we speak with no meaning or purpose and sound like, “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).

We are also like a tinkling cymbal if we sing without praise and without understanding.

In the very next chapter Paul says, “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?” (1 Corinthians 14:15-16)

In both chapters 13 and 14 Paul is getting the Corinthians to understand that our mind and spirit must be in the thing we do. We must be present. We are not to be overtaken by song or tongues. We are to be cognizant and aware, not overtaken by the flesh and out of control.

Bill Hitchcock